Workshops (listed alphabetically by instructor’s last name)
What One Peacemaking Church Looks Like
Instructor: Brent Amato
Whether you’re a Peacemaker Ministries veteran or all this “peacemaker stuff” is brand new to you, we all wonder and are challenged as to how peacemaking plays out in our local churches. Come consider the characteristics of and challenges to a church seeking to develop a “culture of peace.”
Coaching a Mediation Party to Confess
Instructor: Anne Bachle Fifer
We learned in basic training how to coach someone through the 7 A’s of confession, but how does it work in real life? In this interactive workshop, we will share ideas on what works, what does not, and role play both coaching and being coached to confess a sin that contributed to conflict.
Helping Leaders Reconcile Through ‘Application Workshops’
Instructors: Anne Bachle Fifer & Kristen Maloney
Church and organizational leaders who are in conflict can benefit from “application workshops” that deepen their understanding of peacemaking principles by applying them to their own conflict and to scenarios similar to their own conflict. We will discuss several ideas for such workshops, that have been used effectively to assist leaders in conflict find reconciliation. Anyone who works with leaders in conflict will come away with new tools to help them.
Special Discussion with Keynote Speaker Nina Balmaceda
After Nina’s keynote address she will be leading a discussion as a follow up. Come spend some intimate time with Nina in this discussion/question and answer session.
Peacemaking and the Pursuit of Justice Part 1
Instructors: Nina Balmaceda & Chip Zimmer
We usually associate peacemaking with forgiveness and reconciliation. Much less frequently we connect peacemaking and justice. This is unfortunate, because not only does the Bible speak frequently and forcefully of God’s concern for justice, Scripture is clear that justice is a key component of biblical peace. In Part 1 of this two part workshop, we will review the rich meanings of peace and justice in the Scriptures and show how they are intimately connected with each other.
Peacemaking and the Pursuit of Justice Part 2
Instructors: Nina Balmaceda & Chip Zimmer
Having laid the foundation for peacemaking through the pursuit of justice, we turn to the mechanics of integrating justice into peacemaking methodologies, such as coaching and mediation. Doing so requires that the Christian abandon the notion of “neutrality” in order to proactively incorporate concerns for justice into the conversation. The outcome of such efforts, however, brings honor to God and healing to conflicts, since justice is not only connected with peace; it is also intimately associated with reconciliation and forgiveness.
The Vital Role of Peacemaking in Premarital Counseling
Instructor: Jason Barrie
How do we prepare couples well to enter the institution of marriage? What is the best way to coach a new couple in biblical peacemaking who may be unfamiliar with the intense heat of conflict? We know that God wants our marriages to reflect his grace and be marked by real peace but we struggle to know what to say. In this intensely practical and highly interactive workshop, Pastor Jason Barrie will help you to encourage pre-marital couples to lay hold of Christ and his grace as the foundation of their marriage. These grace-based principles can powerfully transform not only our own marriages but all our relationships too.
Why Women’s Relationships Fail or Thrive
Instructor: Tara Barthel
Most women long for intimate, safe, real relationships. Life is sweeter when burdens are shared and joys are multiplied among true friends. So why do so many women’s relationships end up conflicted? Or even if not overtly conflicted, shallow, performance-oriented, and graceless? Join us for a frank discussion of why women’s relationships fail or thrive—and what practical steps we can take to overcome our relational weaknesses.
Redeeming Church Conflicts (Parts 1 & 2)
Instructors: Tara Barthel & Dave Edling
In their book, Redeeming Church Conflicts, Dave Edling and Tara Barthel bring to life the Christ-exalting, unity-promoting model for redeeming church conflicts summarized in Acts 15. Prayerful, interactive, and filled with real-life case studies, this two-part workshop will work through the entire Acts 15 model for redeeming church conflicts: Perspective, Discernment, Shepherd Leadership, and Biblical Response. If you are eager to help laypeople and leaders to redeem their church conflicts by intentionally depending on the humbling and heart-changing grace of God in Christ, then these are the workshops for you. (Attendees are welcome to attend either or both sessions; you are not required to attend both.)
Equipping University Students to be Peacemakers
Instructor: Bruce Boyd
It appears that Christian university students are more likely to participate in peacemaker training that is offered as a Christian university course rather than as a class or small group at church. How are students who take peacemaker training offered as a university religion course affected? What are the results both short and longer-term and how are their present and future church families likely to be impacted? Research results will be presented and the implications for peacemaker training done by churches and Christian universities will be discussed.
What Do I Do Now?
Instructors: Marianne Busche, Gary & Bev Forrest, Dave & Sally Sund
You’ve gone through some peacemaker training (coaching and/or mediation — maybe even certification training). Learn from those who have been through it, how you can begin using your training in a church setting. Specific necessary steps will be considered.
Can You Hear Me Now?
Instructors: Craig & Alison Conrad
Being heard and hearing requires more than turning up or tuning out the volume. We will review and practice positive communication skills that enhance interpersonal relationships. We will also learn how to identify and avoid or address negative patterns that erode them. Together we’ll consider how best to use what we learn to help ourselves and others work out life together where we live, work and worship.
Forgiveness Training: A Pre-Requisite to Long-Lasting Reconciliation
Instructors: Judy Dabler & Daniel Teater
Angry and hurt people often struggle with bitterness and unforgiveness. Coming to a conciliation process having already forgiven the offender often results in successful and lasting peace between conflicted parties. Conciliation efforts that include pre-mediation forgiveness training have the potential to be far more effective and redemptive. This workshop will introduce the participant to an effective and redemptive forgiveness exercise used by Live at Peace Ministries to help prepare conflicted parties for a mediation process. A charge of $5 will be made for the Forgiveness Workbook, and all permission will be given for the participant to use this resource in their own conciliation efforts.
How to Effectively Identify Heart Idols and its Cure
Instructor: KC Dierenfield
When helping others in conflict, identifying idols appear to be one of the hardest peacemaking skills to master, but is tantamount in conflict coaching and meditation. I realized years ago, if I couldn’t teach it well, I didn’t know it well! How do you help others avoid getting caught in the sin of idol worship when demanding and expecting to get their own way from God and others? How do you help them understand what is at the core of their heart and what they are really needing and craving? Since we live in a feeling oriented society where ‘feelings rule’, you will also learn how feelings play a huge rule in idolatry. How do you help others deal with their feelings and find peace, so they’re not following their emotional heart that can slide them into conflict, destruction and bondage? This workshop will address all of these questions, plus more. It will help you understand every step of the Slippery Slope of Idol Worship and narrow it down to a simplistic form of the three basic core heart needs we all crave in life called “SSS”so you can effectively help others. You will also find that you will not only learn how to help others understand and identify their idols to lead them to a cure and deliverance, but it just might help you as well in your own personal life! Don’t miss this opportunity! A special gift is waiting for you when you attend the whole workshop.
Using Case Studies to Teach Peacemaking at Home and Abroad
Instructor: Karl Dortzbach
Case studies are the easiest way to contextualize as well as help participants in a workshop apply the principles of peacemaking to their own situations. This workshop will help you not only identify different kinds of case studies, but also different ways of getting them and using them.
When All Else Fails, Tell a Story!
Instructor: Karl Dortzbach
Often if we were better at telling stories, and listening to stories we would fail less in our peacemaking. This workshop brings lessons from international and biblical storytelling to help through common blocks in “going” to another when there is a conflict and relational distress. Learn to utilize story-listening in coaching and mediation as well.
The “Law of the Lord” – What Is It?
Instructors: Dave Edling & Max Williams
How should “Biblical law” be used in Christian arbitration, mediation, and conflict coaching? In Psalm 19 we read that “the law of the Lord is perfect…” The Conciliation Rules of Peacemaker Ministries also states that the “the Holy Scriptures shall be the supreme authority governing every aspect of the conciliation process.” However, there is a wide range of theological difference in how to apply Biblical law to Christian conciliation. Two experienced lawyers and Certified Christian Conciliators will discuss the meaning and content of Biblical law and lay out a plan for using it in Christian conciliation that effectively serves parties from differing religious traditions. The class will also participate in several interactive case studies that apply Biblical law to contemporary cases.
Who Am I, Really? How Heart-Level Identity Shapes Our Response to Conflict
Instructor: Gary Friesen
We have three levels of identity that shape our response to conflict: group identity, (race, tribe, church, political affiliation, etc) personal identity (parent, leader, job, etc) and heart identity. The most challenging identity to address in conflict is that which stems from our heart. We are often unaware of heart-level identities and the impact they have in our relationships. In this workshop Gary will explore how to help conflicted parties recognize and respond to their heart-level identities by finding their deepest identity in Christ.
Christian Conciliation for the Reoslution of Denominational Conflicts with Member Churches
Instructors: Gary Friesen & Dave Schlachter
Denomination and member church disputes are happening all over. We will review the current trends and results of these disputes using the secular dispute resolution services and court system to address the serious and complex disputes related to a church withdrawing for theological or other reasons. These issues create disputes that result in exhausting resources which could be available to kingdom work, and destroy relationships and tarnish the witness of Christ and the church. We will explore the benefits and availability of Christian Conciliation as a preferred alternative for dispute resolution, protecting the witness of Christ and preserving the relationships of believers.
How to Have a Difficult Conversation in the Messiness of Everyday Life
Instructor: Rick Friesen
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 We each face difficult conversations every day; some we dread having and some just always seem to go bad. The Bible has much to say about this. In this workshop we will unpack what Scripture has to teach us about how we can more constructively interact and have difficult conversations with our spouse, children, boss, employees and others. Join us for an interactive discussion mixed with a bit of fun.
Everyday Marriage: Where Life and Conflict Meet (Parts 1 & 2)
Instructors: Rick & Annette Friesen
Google marital conflict and you will get over 2 million entries. Admittedly, not all those entries are attempting to answer the complex problem of conflict in marriage, but we all know there are books, websites, organizations and people that are dedicated to helping you eradicate conflict in your marriage. But is the end goal to get rid of conflict? Or does God call us to something different than arranging our lives so that we don’t have conflict but instead to steward our conflicts so that we can glorify God, serve our spouses, and grow to be like Christ? Hear from a husband and wife who are experts in conflict as they help you take some of the basic peacemaking principles and walk them out in some common marital problems.
Teaching Peacemaking Cross-Culturally: Some Essentials (Parts 1 & 2)
Instructors: Jerry & Cathie Gates & Jon Nichols
The presenters believe that careful and prayerful preparation is key to teaching peacemaking cross-culturally. In light of this belief we are delighted to offer this workshop, in two sections, which will address how one prepares to teach peacemaking in a foreign country or cross-culturally here at home. Some questions we need to ask ourselves include: How do people from other cultures view the world and themselves? How do we bridge the “culture gap” between ourselves and those who attend our teaching? What approaches and techniques can be employed to present the principles of peacemaking? What are some difficulties in presenting principles of peacemaking? When the preparation is completed and the teaching is to begin, how does one prepare for the unanticipated? We will attempt to briefly cover these topics and provide a reading list that complements the topics in this workshop.
Navigating Legal Issues as a Non-Lawyer Mediator
Instructor: Linda Gould
Christian mediators typically do not need to have an in-depth knowledge of law. But understanding some legal concepts may help non-lawyer mediators better serve their parties. This workshop explores a few legal issues which may be helpful to non-lawyer mediators.
Riding Along in the Smith’s Minivan: A Peacemaking / Mentoring Team Approach to Help A Struggling Marriage
Instructor: Linda Gould
When a married couple needs help from your church peacemaking team, they could probably benefit from having a mentor couple “ride along” in their life; providing support, an encouraging example, and training in marriage skills. This workshop explores how to utilize a team approach to provide support and assistance to a married couple needing help with conflict in everyday life.
Getting to the Heart of Conflict (Parts 1 & 2)
Instructor: Ted Kober
In coaching or mediation, getting to the heart of conflict can make all the difference. Conflict reveals the secret idols of our hearts. But many don’t realize how their idols are driving them or how they impact relationships to others. Learn easy-to-use questions to help people identify three key idols that underlie and fuel conflict. Then, learn how to use repentance, confession and forgiveness to heal and encourage reconciliation.
Reconciliation Ministry Pastorate: Applying Biblical Peacemaking to Intentional Interim Ministry
Instructors: Ted Kober & Bruce Zagel
When churches suffer the loss of a pastor, the separation is often painful. When the separation involves severe conflict, the pain is even more acute and needs special attention before the church is ready to receive a new long-term pastor. Reconciliation Ministry Pastorate (RMP) applies a four-step process of biblical peacemaking to identify the sin affecting the church as a result of the loss of the pastor, and to bring the Gospel to hurting relationships for healing. RMP also prepares the church to initiate a Reconciliation Ministry, assisting the spiritual leaders and the new pastor in addressing the ongoing conflicts within the church.
God’s Plan for Blended Families
Instructor: Donna Mashburn
This workshop will address the struggles, failures and eventual victory through following God’s plan in the blending family process. It will be helpful information to use in your personal life as well as for those who are working in coaching or mediating others in a blended family situation. There is hope within God’s plan of your life together!
All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go: The Team with Little Casework
Instructor: Doug McIntire
Likely if you are a team leader or member you have felt the frustration of not having cases to do. Doubt creeps in, your passion is waning, and your members are wandering to new ministry opportunities. Why have we not been able to embed and become the critical ministry I know we can be? This session will address those situations and more, giving you ways to approach your church and leaders to help them see how your service can make their ministries more effective too.
Blueprint for Building a Culture of Peace I
Instructor: Christian Muntean
New wine cannot be put into an old wineskin. You’ve tried to create a Culture of Peace in your church or ministry – but it didn’t seem to take. The staff still wrestle with unresolved conflicts. The congregants struggle to apply Peacemaking Principles to ‘the real world.’ Don’t give up! This workshop provides tools for exploring the challenges you are facing and introduces a blueprint for effectively building a culture of peace.
Blueprint for Building a Culture of Peace II
Instructor: Christian Muntean
For senior leaders, change leaders, church consultants. This is a follow-up workshop for those who will be responsible for leading or overseeing change. Be introduced to practical tools for discerning the dynamics in your church or ministry. You will learn how to take a second look at the template for guiding change, discover the seven tasks of peace-building in your church and learn the importance of ‘buy-in’ and how to build it and protect it. Be introduced to a diagnostic tool to discover your churches roadblocks and how to clear them.
Remodeling or Restoring? How are you handling the heart of your child?
Instructors: Frank & Debby Mylar
As parents, we are with our children for many hours every day throughout some of the most important years of their lives. Yet, are we in the business of remodeling their behavior and words through manipulation, bribery, guilt, shame or threats or are we engaged in the lifelong process of gently coming along side our children as they face the difficulties of life, allowing God to use us as an instrument in His hands to provide the environment where, by His grace, we can restore their hearts toward Him. Please join Debby and Frank as they share theological and practical principles that the Lord has taught them as He has moved them from being remodelers to pursuing being restorers in the lives of their children.
Finding Lasting Peace Utilizing a Biblical Worldview
Instructor: Bruce & Bryan Nelson
As biblical peacemakers, we must bring into focus the redemptive, heart transformational work that God desires for the parties to experience a lasting peace. This involves answering three compelling questions: (1) What or whom do they worship or treasure? (2) How does such revelation alter their worldview? (3) How does such altered worldview impact their thoughts, words and actions in the context of this conflict? This workshop will encourage group participation as we consider the important issue of why reconciliations sometimes unravel with the passage of time.
Living Out the Gospel: Resolving Everyday Conflicts (Parts 1 & 2)
Instructor: Greg Oliphant & Jonathan Boll
Conflict is a part of everyday life – on the job, in the neighborhood, with our children or spouse, with relatives, at church, or even with a stranger in a public place. It isn’t a matter of if but when we will experience conflict. How will you respond? How do you respond now? How can you respond in a way that draws people to the gospel? This workshop dives into the issue of applying the gospel to conflicts of daily life. By reminding ourselves of the power of the gospel not only for our own lives but also for those around us, you will be equipped and challenged to handle conflict in a whole different way.
Advanced Conflict Coaching: Preparing the Parties for the Mediation
Instructor: Tim Owen
If you have been through the Conflict Coaching and Mediation seminars and have had some experience at those ministries and would like to further develop the heart and skills to improve your peacemaking ministry, this workshop might be helpful. One of the objectives of conflict coaching is to prepare the parties for mediation in order to enhance the possibility that they will come to the mediation ready to confess, forgive and move towards reconciliation. How can we coach them in that godly direction? What obstacles do we run up against and how can we help parties past the obstacle? What has God used in your coaching that can help all of us serve more effectively? This workshop is not an expert giving you the answers, but a fellow disciple learning from Christ and his servants the heart and hand of Christ-centered peacemaking.
“Judge Not:” What does that mean?
Instructor: Tim Owen
In the scriptures God instructs that we are not to judge (Matt 7:1 and others), yet calls us to Judge (I Cor 6:1-5). How are we to understand and apply these scriptures and others like them? How can we think through and apply this issue in our own lives and how can we coach others as we all learn to obey all that Jesus commanded us. (Matt 28:19) Prepare for this seminar by bringing your ideas, resources, open minds and hearts as we learn together.
Wounded Peacemakers: When to Serve through the Pain and When to Take Time to Heal
Instructor: Lynn Pace
Even peacemakers face conflict sometimes. We always have hope that God will use our painful conflict experiences for our good and others’ good and for His glory, but sometimes it is wise to take time to be able to minister from our experience of God’s comfort and faithfulness rather than ministering from our experience of the pain. This workshop explores the question of when we should serve others even when we are experiencing the pain of conflict in our own lives, and when we should rest for a time from our peacemaking labors to heal and let God minister to us before we attempt to offer counsel to a brother or sister who is struggling with conflict.
Mediating Hopelessly Broken Marriages (Parts 1 & 2)
Instructor: John Richardson
Mediation can be a channel of hope for the miserable marriage. This updated two-part workshop will explore the special issues, challenges and opportunities that accompany working with despairing couples. Utilizing strategies, assessments and resources, participants will learn how to help couples uncover the source of their brokenness and build a plan for a full life together. Common contributors of broken marriages as well as potential pitfalls of mediating these cases will be explored.
Relational Wisdom–Getting Upstream of Conflict
Instructor: Ken Sande
You make dozens of relational decisions every day. Which feelings to follow, which agendas to push … what to say and how to say it, whether to study or ignore what’s going on inside others. Get it right and your relationships flourish. Get it wrong and you alienate family and friends, irritate co-workers, and dent your witness for Christ. In this workshop Ken presents a set of gospel-driven skills that will help you to get it right time after time. He’ll teach you how to bring Jesus into your relationships. You’ll learn how to know yourself and master your actions, how to understand others and serve them wisely. Unlike IQ and personality, which don’t change, your relational wisdom can improve dramatically as God transforms your character by enabling you to weave these abilities deeply into your life and relationships. *This workshop will be offered twice – once on Friday and once on Saturday.
Transforming Conflict in the Workplace: Continuing the Discussion of Training and Assistance for the Business Community
Instructor: Dave Schlachter
Come join other Certified Christian Conciliators and candidates to share and compare notes on offering biblically based conflict resolution training and assistance to secular businesses and not-for-profits which seek to live out their faith in the workplace. The discussion will be led by David Schlachter who continues to develop and improve these materials and opportunities.
Stone Throwers: How to Handle Criticism and Complaints from the Saints
Instructor: Rick Shoemaker
Complaints and criticism are inevitable in every realm of life. Leaders are often the focus of such attacks. Consider the way that great leaders like Moses, David, and even, Jesus, were treated! When such venom is unleashed we can either “react in the flesh or respond in God’s Spirit.” We will examine both options. The way we choose to address criticism and complaints can be redemptive or ruinous. This workshop will focus upon the way that King David handled the attack of an angry, stone-throwing critic named Shimei; as recorded in II Samuel 16:5-14 and in II Samuel 19:18-23. Each participant will receive a useful biblical policy for handling complaints.
Gossip: The Most Acceptable Sin among Christians
Instructor: Rick Shoemaker
In nearly every conflict, gossips swarm like flies to a garbage heap. With the advent of social media, the problem has grown exponentially! We will first try to define gossip. Then we will introduce and practice through role playing, an effective strategy to end the spread of gossip. An outline of this strategy will be provided for each participant.
Agreeable Parenting When Parents Disagree
Instructor: Steve Short
This workshop will instruct parents or a single parent to love God first, others next, spouse, ex-spouse and children. By teaching self-examination though the 4 G’s and the 7 A’s, this will direct each person to take responsibility for their own contribution and move them toward progressive sanctification. You will learn how to teach parties to communicate biblically with each other in order to build one another up and to reap the benefits of biblical forgiveness, with the goal of glorifying God and being a witness to others.
“Say What?!” Understanding and Communication Across Generations
Instructors: Barbara Simpson & (other Instructor TBA)
Do you find that miscommunication is more difficult across generational lines? Do you get frustrated when different generations don’t understand you – or you don’t understand them? If you’ve answered “yes” then you are not alone. Attend this workshop led by instructors from different generations (a baby boomer and 30-something) that attempts to help generations in the family and the church both understand and respect one another as they work together to accomplish God’s purposes. Learn how different generations think and how you can “look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others “ (Philippians 2:4).
Special Discussion with Keynote Speaker Paul Smith
Come spend some intimate time with Paul in this discussion/question and answer session.
Managing Money Conflicts
Instructor: Tim Voorhees
Spouses, business partners, heirs, legal advisers, and financial planners frequently have very different opinions about how wealth should be managed, controlled, invested, and distributed. Managing these conflicts often requires that the peacemaker first address felt needs and then “peel the onion” to identify and respond to real spiritual needs. This presentation will focus on how a Certified Christian Conciliator™ can apply Scriptural principles when helping individuals develop a shared understanding of how they can use wealth to glorify God. Tim Voorhees will show how Christian lawyers and financial planners in every community can find fulfillment and even new revenue opportunities while helping clients and their advisers address conflicts involving wealth. Tim will discuss a multidisciplinary approach that integrates legal, financial, theological, and technological solutions.
Assessing Parties’ Needs and Developing a Strategy for Coaching
Instructor: Gary Wright
In this workshop, participants will learn how to identify and assess the needs and issues of parties’ in a marital conflict, and gain some important and effective tools to draw out heart and substantive issues, and guide them to resolve the issues in a positive and biblically faithful manner.
Rebuilding Trust Once Forgiveness is Shared: The Challenge of Rebuilding Damaged Relationships
Instructor: Bruce Zagel
Once forgiveness is shared and reconciliation is accomplished the hard work is done. Right? Not so fast. Rebuilding trust following the breaking of trust and healing through reconciliation often takes time and hard work. How do you build on the foundation of reconciliation in order to rebuild damaged trust? This workshop will provide suggestions and practical application for rebuilding damaged relationships.
Workshop schedule to come….